2 Sticks of Room-Temperature Butter, OR One Stick of Butter and 1/2 Cup of Coconut Oil

2 Cups of Sugar

3 Cups of White or Unbleached White Flour

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla, OR Two Teaspoons of Vanilla and One Teaspoon of Almond Extract

4 Eggs

3/4 Cup of Buttermilk, OR Milk plus One Tablespoon of Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 350°. Cream the butter and sugar, add vanilla and almond extracts, then beat until fluffy. Blend in half of the eggs. Gradually add flour and other dry ingredients (I usually combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large measuring cup, & mix it with a fork so it’s ready to be incorporated into the batter); add the other two eggs, beating, then gradually add the milk. Beat for three minutes. Pour into a 13″ Pullman loaf pan, or two regular meatloaf-pans, and bake for 1.5 hours OR until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the cake’s center comes out clean.

With one simple recipe, three hours or less and a rectangular pizza-stone like mine,

you can make eight ultra-versatile, classic pita loaves. It’s rare to find a stone that covers a whole oven-rack; it has many applications including evening-out the heat in a gas oven, and baking crispy French bread.

Thin slices of sirloin tip beefsteak are coated with salt and cracked black pepper, then sautéed in butter. To make the sauce on which the cooked steaks are presented, a third-cup of flour is browned in the pan with a bit more butter, and stirred until brown. Gradually, brandy and cream or milk are poured into the pan, and the mixture is whisked until smooth. A hand-blender may be employed to integrate the brown bits and smooth the sauce.

In many areas of the western hemisphere, radishes will grow in autumn. They take five or six weeks to mature, and can even be grown indoors at a window. Use radishes in smoothies and eat them at breakfast with a little soft butter or salt. Radishes are a traditional liver-tonic, perfect for the morning after having an adult beverage or two.